Turbot

Haeyeon Fish Farm is also making an effort to study and commercialize Korean turbots.

Turbot

Less known in Korea, turbot is a type of European flounder, and is currently distributed in Korea under the standard names such as “wide flounder,” “rock halibut,” and “chewy halibut.”

Since it was first introduced to the Korean market in the early 2000s, many fish farms have failed to handle the breed. In more recent years, Haeyeon and some other private fish farms in Jeju Island succeeded in employing new methods to farm turbots and began to export the product to the U.S., Canada, and Singapore. Only few people, however, have tasted raw turbot in Korea.

The largest producer and consumer of turbots in recent days is China, where 85% of the fish is grown and eaten. The Chinese people favor turbot, calling it “many-luck fish” or “highly precious fish.”

Turbot is assessed as a breed that can generate added value that is as high as that of
exported flounders.
In order to secure genetic diversity of the breed,
Haeyeon Fish Farm is introducing foreign (French) turbots to the pool.
In addition, it is making an effort to develop a Korean breed of turbot
that can grow better in the environment of Jeju Island.

As a result, Haeyeon produced the first fertilized eggs and breeds of turbot in Korea
that are being distributed in the country,
and exported 20,000 turbot breeds to the Chinese market for the first time in 2017.